The state of Alaska filed a lawsuit Monday against the US government regarding its recent designation of polar bears as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The state claims that Interior Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne, failed to consider the scientific evidence of the survival of polar bears despite earlier global warming periods and dismisses the idea that polar bears would be endangered in 45 years. State officials are concerned that the designation will hurt offshore oil and gas development in areas populated with polar bears.
The listing was based on a one-year review process, public comment period and other studies that found a recent trend in the melting of vital sea ice that it expected would continue in the future and would negatively affect the polar bear population.
Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i536jfOol1gh7ago3QLE3rrEvhZgD92BSE780
